Lee, Manzella lead Astros over Cubs 4-0

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HOUSTON (AP) -- The Houston Astros had so much fun over the last
few months of the season that they weren't ready for it to end.

Carlos Lee homered and Tommy Manzella drove in two runs to lead
the Astros to a 4-0 win over the Chicago Cubs in their season
finale Sunday.

The victory broke a three-game losing streak for the Astros, who
matched their run total from the previous three games combined.
They went 59-52 since June 1 after going 17-34 through May.

"I wish we had a few more games," manager Brad Mills said.

Nelson Figueroa (7-4) tossed six sharp innings of six-hit ball
and struck out a season-high eight. He was pitching on three
days' rest after Wandy Rodriguez could not make his scheduled
start because of back spasms. He got Houston's last two wins of
the year after also pitching six shutout innings in his previous
start, a 2-0 win over the Reds on Wednesday.

"It felt great," Figueroa said. "I wanted to go out there and
put my best effort out to help the team win and give the fans
something to look forward to for next year."

Brandon Lyon worked a perfect ninth to complete the shutout
after Fernando Abad and Wilton Lopez combined for two hitless
innings.

"It was good to see the bullpen do a great job," Mills said.
"That was special to see those guys continue to throw the ball
like they have."

"I just got outpitched," Dempster said. "Figueroa threw the ball
really well and pitched deep. It would have been nice to go out
on a winning note in the last game of the year, but at the same
time it doesn't take away from how we've played down the
stretch."

Lee hit his 24th homer, a solo shot to the Crawford Boxes in
left field to push Houston's lead to 3-0 in the third. Brett
Wallace led off the fourth with his first career triple and
scored on a single by Manzella.

Chris Johnson singled and scored on a single by Manzella to make
it 1-0 in the first inning. A single by Figueroa and an error by
catcher Koyie Hill allowed Humberto Quintero to score later in
the inning and put Houston ahead 2-0.

Figueroa retired eight of his first nine batters before walking
Blake DeWitt with two outs in the third. Darwin Barney singled
after that, but Marlon Byrd, who finished 0 for 4, struck out to
end the inning.

The Cubs got consecutive singles by Aramis Ramirez and Xavier
Nady with one out in the fifth. Figueroa intentionally walked
Hill to load the bases before striking out Dempster to escape
the jam.

Chicago took the first two games in Houston and won eight of 12
series after interim manager Mike Quade took over.

"I'm just greedy," Quade said. "You get two, and it's great to
win a series, but you'd like to come out and win for the club,
win for Demp and all the rest of them. I wish we had done a
little more offensively. But Figueroa pitched great."

NOTES: An emotional Geoff Blum said after the game that the
Astros will not pick up his option for 2011. ... Houston RHP
Jeff Fulchino is scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery on
inflamed tissue in his right elbow Monday. ... Astros LHP Tim
Byrdak has a sports hernia and will be examined Oct. 12 to see
if surgery is needed. If it is, it will be done on Oct. 14. ...
SS Starlin Castro was out of the lineup after improving his
batting average to .300 on Saturday. He is the first Cubs rookie
to finish a season with a .300 average since Bill Madlock hit
.313 in 1974. ... Houston center fielder Michael Bourn missed
his 13th straight game with a strained right oblique muscle.